Shure MV7 USB Podcast Microphone for Podcasting, Recording, Live Streaming & Gaming, Built-In Headphone Output, All Metal USB/XLR Dynamic Mic, Voice-Isolating Technology, TeamSpeak Certified - Black

2.0 out of 5 stars

By The Brady Report - Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2020

Not worth it.

This is Shure trying to bait people into buying what they think is a slimmed down SM7B that they see everyone using for $250. I've used a Samson CO1U (~$100) for years and then upgraded to the Rode NT-USB (~$170). I saw this mic with the voice isolation, touch controls etc and decided to try it out. I've wanted to get the SM7B for years but don't want to drop that much cash yet. The good: - Solid build quality for the most part. Others have commented on the thinness of the windscreen. I agree could be better but I like the sturdy metal construction. - flexible connection options (USB / XLR) The not so good/bad: - pick up levels. This thing is VERY quiet. I have to crank the gain way up and that's with me sitting 2-3 inches from it. The top pick up patter is a little annoying for my setup, but I knew that going in. - USB. I know they don't "need" USB-C for this Mic but why not have that as default. Why are we going backwards? - Cable quality is so so. - Not compatible with iPad Pro (USB-C). I can't plug this into my iPad when I'm remote to record? Rode NT-USB does this beautifully. Huge miss in my opinion. Not everyone is stuck to a desk and my iPad is my mini studio on the road. - Touch controls are picky... - This may seem like a small thing but the HUGE Shure logo on both sides is just stupid. The SM7B is slick, all black, and everyone knows what model it is. No need for me to advertise your company on my show. Bad form Shure... Just not worth the $250 price tag. Much better mics out there for $150-200. Even decent mics for sub-$100. I'll probably return this and at some point get the SM7B setup. Disappointing. (side note for Amazon. The rating options were for Overall, Value for money, Sheerness and Thickness? WTH?)

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Billy - Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2020

Outstanding Microphone for Video Calls

I didn't even know that I wanted to sound like a radio DJ on video-calls until I knew that I could. Since it's 2020 and my entire existence has been distilled to Microsoft Teams/Zoom calls for work I finally decided I'd had enough and wanted to make sure I could sound as best as possible while speaking. Plug this heavy black cylinder into your computer and boom, call up the FCC, and get yourself a four letter call sign because you'll sound like your favorite morning FM host while discussing even the most monotonous work topics. What's even better is that the microphone's design reduces background noise to almost none. Granted, it can't defy the laws of physics and does need to be relatively close to your mouth, but this allows listeners to hear only your voice (and not your dog throwing up lego and string cheese, again). The app and auto-mode work great for how I use the mic, even if endless pandemic video calls were not what anybody expected this would be used for.

4.0 out of 5 stars

By Matthew G. - Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2020

Great, but not an SM7B replacement. Look elsewhere if you're using XLR only.

This microphone fits perfectly for my use case, and that is the key to making your decision... USE CASE! If you're looking for SM7B quality XLR, this ain't it. The audio difference between XLR and USB mode is essentially zero. This makes it a killer USB microphone, but a very limited XLR microphone. The software functioned perfectly and works as expected. I had an issues with audio playback through the headphone jack, however that was my fault as I had set the Hz rate to the wrong value in my PC settings. It took a call to support to identify that. The software limiter also does a poor job since it doesn't prevent clipping, but just processes the audio after the fact. It's digital, not analog. The biggest issue this mic has is PLOSIVES. P sounds are TERRIBLE. It makes this mic sound extremely cheap. The provided wind screen is thinnest at the top where you talk into it, about 1/8 of an inch of foam before it reaches the capsule. Feels like it'll rip one day it's so thin. This makes is unusable without an additional pop filter. This is a big downside and one of the reasons I considered returning it. However, I managed to jerry rig another mini pop shield onto it and it's good enough to avoid the hassle of a return. This alone makes the price tag of $250 wayyy too high. You're almost better off getting a Rode Podmic and an XLR interface for that same price. You also have to get very close to the mic... I have the volume MAXED out and it's still fairly quiet even from only a couple inches away. Big change from my Yeti that could hear me from across the room. This is mainly due to this being a dynamic mic and not a condenser mic, but it's still quiet overall with few options to go any louder. The build quality is fantastic, and the lights on the touchscreen make it look pretty unique. The SHURE logo on the sides is a bit of an eye-sore since it's massive. The microphone is exactly 6 inches long, metal construction, much smaller than a Blue Yeti (which I like). The "squished" look compared to the SM7B has grown on me to the point where the SM7B looks hilariously long. NOTE: Shure sent out a lot of these to YouTubers to review, however they requested they NOT post their reviews if they didn't like the product. So most day-one reviews you're seeing is from people that liked it. I'm here to tell you that it's not an SM7B killer like so many titles suggest, but it is the best USB microphone I've seen yet. CONCLUSION: This microphone falls in a very specific sweet spot... for those that want an XLR quality USB mic, but don't want to spend a couple hundred more for a full SM7B setup. If you're planning on doing XLR only, then keep shopping. There are better XLR-only options out there. If the price drops to $175, get it.